A number of catalyst shapes have been described in the prior art. For example, various catalyst particle shapes have been disclosed in: U.S. Pat. No. 2,408,164 to Foster; U.S. Pat. No. 3,966,644 to Gustafson; and U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,674,680 and 3,764,565 to Hoekstra and Jacobs. The aim of these prior art developments has been extending of particle surface-to-volume (S/V) ratios beyond those available in simple cylindrical or spherical forms. Although the S/V ratio in a catalytic reactor may also be increased by reducing the particle size, unacceptably high pressure drops can result from this approach.